Hi,
I hope that I don’t sound stupid, but I’d like to work in an area which has very scarce parking. If parking spaces are available, they can cost around -20 hours a day! There is some parallel parking available, but they are very hard to find, and during morning hours, motorists hate to slow down and allow other vehicles to parallel park. If I want to work downtown, I’d have an infant and a toddler to take on the bus or train. I’m trying to visualize a baby in my front carrier while carrying a backpack styled diaper bag with two kids’ belongings and holding my tots hand on a crowded bus. How do people do it? Suppose there aren’t enough seats and my lil tot has to sit apart from me? I’d like to bring a stroller with me on the bus, but I’m trying to imagine collapsing my stroller while my toddler doesn’t run away………Only to pick up the stroller with one hand, pull out my bus pass, and hold my toddler’s hand while trying to compete with other passengers who are getting on the bus. How do public commuters do it?
November 27th, 2009 at 5:08 am
Well, I’m not a mom, but I take the bus to work maybe 95% of the time, so I’ve seen lots of people do it lots of different ways. I’d suggest doing a couple ‘dry runs’ - make the first one during a non-crowded time, and bring the stroller. The next time, go during your normal work time (rush hour, I’m guessing), leave the stroller at home, and see how it goes. By then, you should have figured out how to work it out best.
First off, the front baby carrier is a good idea. How far would you have to walk - is it at all possible for the toddler to walk while you have the infant in your carrier, eliminating the stroller altogether?
Second of all, I wouldn’t worry about the seats. People on public transportation usually are very understanding about this, and frequently will move over so your child can sit next to you, and watch out for the child so you don’t leave the bus or train without him, or vice versa. Another alternative is to let your child sit, and stand and hold on to a hand rail or something similar nearby. Or, you could take turns in the seat, and hold your toddler’s hand while you’re sitting down.
The stroller thing is the most difficult. Either you could collapse the stroller shortly before getting onto the bus and drag it up the steps with you (the simple solution here is to allow your toddler to hold and swipe/show the bus pass), or if it’s a less crowded environment the driver might put down the wheelchair ramp for you to bring the stroller on then collapse it once you’ve gotten moving, or not bother collapsing it at all if it’s not too crowded.
And, last but not least, there are ways to keep your kid near you. I’ve seen everything from wrist-to-wrist ‘child leashes’ for kids who might run off, to parents with kids holding onto a lanyard clipped onto their belt loop because I guess they weren’t afraid that the kid would let go and wanted their hands free. As far as the whole ‘child leash’ thing goes, I know some people are rabidly against them, but I’ve seen photos of my parents using one on my siblings and I when we were kids, and even friends’ parents had borrowed it as well, and we never turned out any worse than any other kids. Plus, if it’s crowded or otherwise dangerous, it’s about safety, not control or anything.
November 27th, 2009 at 5:08 am
If you are using public transport with young children you should find that people are quite curtious, they will help you or move out of the way, make room for you and allow you to get on first. Keep your infant in the stoller and ask your toddler to hold onto the pram.
November 27th, 2009 at 5:08 am
many of the busses will let you sit in the wheelchiar area, at least the buses in anaheim let me sit in the wheelchair section when i had my stroller.